A Museum Project

CONTENTS

Introduction 05 What was the Atlantic Wall 07 Who built the Wall? 08 Why are there Atlantic Walls in the UK? 09 Where are the other UK Walls? 11 Intelligence – finding out about the real wall 12 Hobart’s Funnies 14 The Anti Concrete Committee: what was their role? 16 What we know about the Sherffmuir Wall 18 Local Information 20 Sources 26 Glossary 27 Further reading 27 Acknowledgements 28 One section of the Sheriffmuir Wall as it looks now The concrete was reinforced with metal bars. 01 (2014). Laser scanning shows more detail and 02 The success of an explosive device could be will even be able to render the wall to show it in its measured by how deformed the metal bars were.

original state. Image: Wardrop and Crockett Image: Wardrop and Crockett INTRODUCTION

The existence of a replica of the Atlantic Wall on the Sheriffmuir Hills above Dunblane seems to have remained something of a secret for over 70 years. It has been recorded and listed as an historic monument. However, locals still seem to know very little about it.

Some ten years ago the husband of one of our museum volunteers mentioned that he had been in Dunblane in 1943 working on the construction of the wall at Sheriffmuir.

In August 2012 Gordon sent us a letter about his time in Dunblane. He apologises that his memory is not as clear as it once was: 49th Division came to Scotland in July 1943 for training in its role of assault division for the . The various units of its , , engineers, etc were located in all areas across the country from Ayrshire to Inverness, and moved around training sites such as Rothesay, Tighnabruach, Inverary, Dunblane. In late 1943, I spent three weeks in Dunblane with my platoon from 756 Field Coy .

5 This is a solid concrete gun emplacement in 1943, in . It gives an idea of the solidity of 03 the German defensive structures that the Allies could expect to encounter. Image:10905058/DPA Mary Evans Picture Library 04 These concrete structures, in Northern France, were known as ‘dragons teeth’. They presented an obstacle to in WW2. The workers who built them file past in the background.

Image: 10296234/RHL Mary Evans Picture Library

6 WHAT WAS THE ATLANTIC WALL?

A series of concrete defence structures built along the west coast of Europe from the northern tip of to Spain. Built by the Germans using slave labour, between 1942 and 1944, it was to protect against an anticipated invasion of mainland Europe from Britain.

In the spring of 1942 this megalomaniac scheme for encasing all Europe in a solid girdle of concrete had one overall title: Atlantic Wall.

7 WHO BUILT THE WALL?

‘’ were the German Engineers in charge of constructing the wall. They forced approximately 1.4 million labourers into service.

Many of them were Prisoners of War, slave labour from occupied countries and others were Germans rejected from military service. All of them were treated as slaves and many did not survive the work. The installations on the sea front and inland together constitute an impregnable fortress!

German propaganda

Not everyone believed the propaganda. Friedrich Kellner, a German Official kept a diary. His entry for 25th April 1943 made this comment about the actual Atlantic Wall This will not stop the Allies. WHY ARE THERE ATLANTIC WALLS IN THE UK?

During WW2 British Military Intelligence gathered information about the German’s Atlantic Wall – its size, structure and the materials it was made of. The Allied Forces knew they would have to break through these German defences for a seaborn invasion into occupied France to be a success.

A great deal of effort was put into developing technology to achieve this, including specialised tanks known as “Hobart’s Funnies” and the creation of an anti-concrete committee. Vital information came from the , and other sources such as aerial photographs.

This enabled accurate mock-ups of the Atlantic Wall to be built in various locations in the UK. These were used for military training and testing prior to D-Day in June 1944.

9 This circular Tobruk shelter 05 gave protection for one man to crouch inside armed with a weapon. It is about 74cm (or 29”) in diameter - a fairly tight fit. This one is at Sheriffmuir. 2014.

Image: Wardrop and Crockett

Remains of the replica 06 wall at Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire. Unlike the other UK Atlantic Walls this is near the coast.

Image: R Thomas

Hankley Common Wall, 07 . A , equipped with a device called “The Onion” (or possibly “Double Onion”), carried 1000lb of explosives which were placed against the concrete wall. The explosion created a gap or ‘breach’ in the wall.

Image: C Shepheard

10 WHERE ARE THE OTHER UK WALLS?

There are five known locations of UK Atlantic Walls:

1 Sheriffmuir,

2 Hankley Common, Surrey

3 Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire

4 Sudbourne, Suffolk

5 Shoeburyness, Essex

There are probably more replica walls to be discovered. The remains of these walls survive today pockmarked by explosives and surrounded by softer in the form of ditches and trenches. 11 INTELLIGENCE – FINDING OUT ABOUT THE ‘REAL’ WALL

The French Resistance movement was west coast of Europe during WW2. created in 1940 and they were asked by British Intelligence to find out all they could Duchez saw an advertisement requesting about the real Atlantic Wall. By various quotes for redecorating the Todt offices so he cunning means the Caen group collected presented himself and offered to do the work more than 3,000 documents which they sent at a very low price. to London. A chance opportunity allowed him to steal a René Duchez, a painter and decorator, plan of the enemy coastal defences. He hid was a member of the French Resistance it behind a mirror and came back later after in Caen, Normandy, where the German being given the job and retrieved it without Engineering organisation, Todt, had its arousing suspicion. He was the decorator, so HQ. They were responsible for building no-one took any real notice of him. the concrete fortifications along the The stolen document indicated very accurately the position of all the defences and how they were constructed. However, Intelligence in London were concerned that the German Engineers would change the design as soon as they realised that the Allies had got hold of a blueprint. However, Germany kept quiet about their loss.

Using this important information the replica walls built in the UK were based on the actual German design. In London a special committee, known as the Anti-Concrete Committee was set up to look at methods of destroying these structures.

08 Left to right: Léon Dunis, Léonard Gille and René Duchez.

12 I really think we have something. I think this may be the most important thing we have ever got hold of.

Colonel Touney, Head of the Organistion Civile et Militaire in Paris, on receiving the blueprints.

The blueprint of the wall was smuggled across the Channel in a biscuit tin with Colonel Remy (a member of the Resistance). He and his family were hidden away in a fishing boat.

False identity card of René Duchez was awarded 09 (Third Fool) Duchez. 10 the “Croix du combattant volontaire de la Résistance”. The two-barred cross was the symbol of the Free French Forces in WW2.

13 HOBART’S FUNNIES

In August 1942 an unsuccessful seaborne Engineers assembled units of modified tank assault was made on the port of on the designs. They became known as “Hobart’s northern coast of France. Allied commanders Funnies”. They were specialised devices to were forced to call a retreat. Amongst other deal with specific obstacles, including some problems obstacles on the beaches had natural hazards such as soft ground and sand prevented the raiding force from making good dunes. progress. It was clear that new models of tank would be needed for future invasions. The 79th Armoured Division were involved in exercises prior to D-Day at Castlemartin, In April 1943 Major-General Percy Hobart, an Pembrokshire. The replica German defences engineer, was given responsibility for many were attacked from the sea. In Suffolk of the specialised armoured vehicles that the villages of Sudboure and Iken were would take part in the Normandy invasion in requisitioned by the Army as a battle training 1944. Under Hobart’s leadership, the 79th area for the 79th Armoured Division under (Experimental) Armoured Divison Royal Major-General Percy Hobart.

02. Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart 1885 – 1957 10 Armoured Warfare Specialist and Military Engineer.

14 A Fascine - a bundle of wooden poles or rough brushwood lashed together with wires and carried at the front of 11 the tank. It could be dropped to fill a ditch or form a step. Concrete obstacles modelled on the German beach defences were built as a training aid. This wall is at Orford, Suffolk.

Image: 0117-E1 Tank Museum.

The Crab – the rotating The Bobbin – a reel of wide 01. The ‘black bull’ badge of 12 flail of chains at the front 13 canvas cloth reinforced 14 the 79th Armoured Division. detonated mines in the path with steel poles could be They had the nickname of the tank. Training in unwound onto the ground in of the ‘zoo’ or ‘menagerie’ the UK. front of the tank to prevent due to the odd assortment of specialized tanks they Image: 352-E2 Tank Museum sinking into the soft ground of the beaches. used, with names like goat, crocodile, scorpion and Image: 2793-F4 Tank Museum crab.

Image: 8987-B6 Tank Museum

15 THE ANTI-CONCRETE COMMITTEE? WHAT WAS THEIR ROLE?

In 1943 the Anti-Concrete Committee was or broken through and what weight or shape formed. It first met in London on Friday 25th of explosive was required to do the most June 1943. Its brief was to: damage?

Review and co-ordinate existing work on The ability to ‘breach’ the Atlantic Wall was the methods of destroying, breaching and key to a successful invasion. The Committee traversing concrete and reinforced concrete gave the following definition of a ‘breach’: structures, including walls, pill boxes and other fortifications, and to recommend A breach meant a ‘tank breach’, or one experimental work on new methods where capable of admitting passage of a Churchill desirable. tank and should be 12 feet wide. Colonel Withers said that since Sherman tanks were The concrete used in building the defensive likely to be available in greater numbers, structures was reinforced with steel bars. the ‘tank breach’ should be large enough to Many of the experiments carried out under the admit this type, and that instead 14 feet was instructions of the Anti-Concrete Committee required. Where a Sherman tank could go, a were aimed at finding out how these steel Churchill could also. bars were affected. Were they bent, crumpled

…I was sent back to my old battalion in Suffolk, who were experimenting with flails, snakes and scorpions and all the other strange menagerie of things, in the Orford training area, a part of Suffolk that was sealed off, highly secret. Some of the villages were evacuated, boarded up, and there they’d built replicas of the Atlantic Wall – pillboxes, bunkers, walls, minefields, wire, anti-tank ditches, the lot, full-sized – and we practiced breaching them.

Lieutenant Ian Hammerton Sherman Crab flail tank commander, 22nd Dragoons Extract from his contribution in “Forgotten Voices”.

16 1944 Damaged concrete wall, France WW2 15 (caused by ‘Flying Dustbins’ the nickname for an explosive device fitted to a Churchill AVRE tank).

Image: 10218150/ILN Mary Evans Picture Library

At Hankley Common, Surrey, the wall as it stands Sheriffmuir, Perthshire. Showing the scatter 16 today. Explosive devices like “The Onion” created 17 pattern of the material that has been blasted out breaches in the replica concrete walls. when breaching the wall.

Image: C Shepheard Image: Wardrop and Crockett

17 WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE SHERIFFMUIR WALL

We know for a fact that Majors Fraser, Tyzack and Lt Broughton were sent to Scotland, 1 - 6 June 1943, to look for suitable sites “near Perth and Kilmarnock for proposed building of replicas of defences on the French Coast.”

We also know a local man, Gordon Drew, who was in Dunblane with 49th Division. He tells us that: In late 1943, I spent 3 weeks in Dunblane with my platoon from 756 Field Coy Royal Engineers.

A small tunnel runs through this section of the Sheriffmuir Wall. The pattern of the corrugated 18 iron sheets used for the shuttering in the construction of the wall are clearly visible. Image: Duncan Ainslie Gordon continues: For many years after the war 49 Div Engineers held annual reunions. When I came to live in the area the question was often asked – ‘is our wall still standing?’ And Major Fraser of 757 Field Coy recounting how the layout replicated a section of the Normandy defence system.

A damaged section of the wall 19 exposing deformed reinforcing bars. It is quite likely that barbed wire was strung along the top of the wall attached to twisted iron ‘picket’ rods.

Image: Wardrop and Crockett

A well preserved section of the wall 20 showing circular Tobruk shelters. One armed soldier could crouch down inside this shelter.

Image: Duncan Ainslie

19 LOCAL INFORMATION (DUNBLANE)

1944 Sept 1940 Willie McLaren was 8 years old and stayed at 25 USA tanks – were taken through the fields Netherton Farm, near Blackford. Just down to re-equip our own tank corps. from the farm was Carsebreck Rail Station (no longer there), and in June 1940 the station Blackford was not too far from Sheriffmuir. was commandeered by the Army. According to Willie, in 1942/43 you could The remnants of the Tank Corps from hear the shells being fired from across the arrived, with only three tanks. Willie still has a valley. Many of the houses had south facing track spanner from one of them, complete with windows cracked with the blasts. They were the marks where the German bullets hit it. It all replaced by the authorities (or Army?). weighs over 12lbs (5.4 kg ) and is 24 inches During the war NO photographs of Blackford long (60 cms). Willie very kindly lent us this were allowed. It was illegal to carry a camera. spanner for the Dunblane Museum temporary The area was declared a “Military Sensitive exhibition in 2014. Area”.

During the summer of 1940 the farm buildings There were quite a number of regiments. at Netherton were used to house soldiers. Either tanks or artillery. French Canadians and Three rooms in the farmhouse were taken Americans. over for the officers’ mess. It would appear that between 1940 and 1944 Blackford April 1944 was designated as a Garrison (occupied A Church service was held for the Army by troops). Willie recalls that the wall on (before they left to muster down on the south Sheriffmuir was used to train both Infantry and coast of England prior to D-Day).The church Artillery (heavy weapons), the Artillery being was packed with soldiers in the body of the fired, blind, from Glen Artney. (‘Firing blind’ church and the local congregation up on the means that the target could not actually be balcony. As they sung “Onward Christian seen!). Soldiers” there was not a dry eye in the house.

June 1940 Another memory is of tanks parked up all The remnants of tank corps were stationed down Street, Blackford. When they between Greenloaning and Blackford. moved off you could feel the small village “Carsebreck” station was built in 1850s for the school shake! curling pond with sidings for 6 trains. Tanks were unloaded at Carsebreck where they had Apparently there were ammunition huts on to build a platform to offload them. the north side of the A9, built in groups of 4. Everything in Blackford and area was very Approx 300 soldiers were billeted in the farm hush, hush. steading at Netherton (the house is still there). 3 rooms were commandeered for the Officers The tank track spanner that Willie had came mess. Food was prepared down in the back from Dunkirk with one of the soldiers who restaurant railway cars. stayed with Willie’s father. The spanner was damaged with bullet holes from German fire. Most men slept in lofts and the farm building. On leaving Blackford the soldier left it as a In Nov 1940 the farmer did not know if he keepsake with Willie’s father. would be keeping cows or keeping soldiers! Soldiers stayed until 6 weeks before D-Day. Truck bogies were pushed on tracks across the peaty land (presumably to move materials Tanks and artillery were firing blind from Glen for mixing the concrete). Near Harperstone Artney. During WW2 everything south of the there was an area of flat land with piles of was closed to the public (the old gravel. It was assumed that free-standing Roman Road). concrete mixers were stood here.

20 LOCAL INFORMATION (DUNBLANE) ...CONTINUED

Major General Urquhart kept in touch with Willie’s mother until the 1980s

[According to Wikipedia: Robert Elliott “Roy” Urquhart born London, 28 Nov 1901 (Father was a Scottish dentist) died 13 Dec 1988 Port of Mentieth].

1939/40 Telegraph poles were placed in the fields around Blackford, near where Highland Spring is today, to stop gliders landing.

Peter’s story: Peter McColl from Aberfoyle was a Veteran of the Normandy landings.

He landed on 6th June 1944 near Arromanches. He was serving with 14 Platoon, 546 Company, Royal Engineers. They sailed across from the UK on the Liberty ship “Empire Earl”. Their vehicles were lifted onto barges which then sailed to the beach, which was still under German artillery fire.

The Liberty ship was a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, the design was adapted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass-produced on an unprecedented scale, the now iconic Liberty ship came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. (source: Wikipedia)

Roosevelt said that this new class of ships would bring liberty to Europe, which gave rise to the name Liberty ship. (source: Wikipedia)

21 LOCAL INFORMATION (SURREY)

The Surrey Defences Survey, part of the Surrey Industrial History Group, aims to record all defence and associated works still in existence in the county.

Chris Shepheard, a member of this group prepared a short article title “A Sea Wall in Surrey?” in 1995. With Chris’ permission the text of his article follows:

22 The Second World War has left many physical framework were hung boxes containing some reminders in Surrey, particularly as there were 1000 lbs of explosive. such a large number of troops billeted here just prior to D-Day. Most of this evidence is in The tank was driven towards the wall and, the form of pillboxes and other defence works, on arrival, the framework was lowered to the but did you know that we have the distinction ground against the obstruction. The vehicle of having a sea wall many miles from the was then backed off to a distance of some 100 nearest coast? feet, paying out an electric detonating cable as it went. The explosives were then detonated Just what is the story behind this strange by the driver and the resulting effect can still artefact in the middle of Hankley Common, be seen in the remains of the wall to this day, between Elstead and Tilford? Many walkers each of the two gaps created measuring some in the area have come across the strange 3.5m (just about 12 feet) in width. Obviously structure amid the silver birch trees looking these resulted in considerable bangs which something like the ruins of Ankhor Wat in must have been heard throughout the district Cambodia, but very little has ever been and it is thought that these could have led to recorded about it. claims against the War Department for ceiling collapses in nearby Tilford village which An article in the Ministry of Defence originate at about this time. conservation magazine “Sanctuary” published in 1988 provides much information supplied Mr Wood believes that the Canadian troops originally by a Mr Wood who was involved in were responsible for building the “Atlantic the wartime trials with the wall. Wall” here, and the commandant of the Longmoor military training area, under which During the summer of 1943, Mr Wood, a Hankley now falls, has reported that raiding Royal Armoured Corps driver/mechanic, parties were sent across the Channel to was attached to the Fighting Vehicle Proving accurately measure the real thing and bring Establishment at Chertsey. His section was back samples of the concrete to ensure the involved in the testing of assault equipment training version was as realistic as possible. and was sent with a Churchill Mk II tank to This must have been quite an undertaking, Elstead where he was billeted in a hutted especially as it was necessary to chip pieces camp with Canadian troops. off without being heard!

The task, over a period of several days, was Another inland example exists in Stirlingshire to take the vehicle, which was equipped with (NN838037), on the Sherffmuir Hills. Again, a device called “The Onion” (or possibly this was used in demolition tests. This second “Double Onion”), across the common to the wall has recently been surveyed and found to Lion’s Mouth (SU883413). Here an area of be very similar in overall size although it tapers obstacle had been set out to represent the in section dramatically towards one end. The defences thought likely to be found during thickness of the wall varies from 3 m (approx. a landing in Europe. These consisted of a 10 feet) down to 0.7 m (approx. 2ft 4 inches) large section of reinforced concrete wall, and a two metre deep ditch lies on the down approximately 100m long and 3m high by slope side. Again concrete is scattered back a 3.5m wide. In the centre of this wall was a considerable distance from a single explosive gap 6 ft wide, closed by a three section heavy created breach in the wall. steel girder gate running on rollers. To one end of the wall were several types of tank As well as the two massive breaches blasted traps, including “dragons’ teeth”, lengths in the Hankley wall by the explosives there of railway track set in concrete and wire are also many marks made by shells spalling entanglements. off the concrete and snapping and twisting the reinforcement near to the surface. Other Most of the obstacles were to be attacked than this the wall must be very much as it was with rockets hauling lengths of explosive built, even though several more generations filled tube (known as “Bangalore Torpedoes”) of troops have trained in the area which has and ‘carpet laying devices’ for the barbed provided military training since the inter-war wire. Mr Wood’s Churchill tank, however, was period. designed to deal with the wall itself and the steel gates. To this end it was equipped with a steel frame measuring some 10 feet wide by 6 feet, fitted vertically in front and mounted on arms attached to the vehicle sides. On this 23 LOCAL INFORMATION (PEMBROKESHIRE)

Castlemartin RAC Range Information from Roger Thomas

At Frainslake, Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire At the Castlemartin range:

Type: ANTI TANK WALL (Assault Training) • 2 observation posts WW2 • 7 tobruk shelters (2 may no longer be any Condition: Bad good but the others are of an unusual design) Material : Concrete Roger mentioned Braunton Sands, N Devon, Constructed approx. 1943 near Barnstaple. Used for

Field visit on 1997/05/10 training Walls built and re-built

Description: Blasted fargments of a concrete Satchel charges place against it anti tank wall at high tide mark on Frainslake Beach, built for exercise “Bullseye” in1943 As it stands it is pock-marked along its full Plotted by GPS length

Source www.experiencepembrokeshire. Photos in Washington (USA) archives com/history-archaeology/military-heritage/ castlemartin

Pembrokshire Military and Maritime Heritage Group

Roger Thomas, Chairman

Ref: Thomas 1995 “Castlemartin’s little bit of Tobruk”

(MOD Conservation magazine) 24

Longhorsley Moor (Northumberland) became a tank training area (mention of men from 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards going to Castlemartin with their tanks for full scale gunnery practice and manoeuvres). www.longhorsleylocalhistorysociety/ww2

24 LOCAL INFORMATION (SUDBOURNE)

Information about the Sudbourne Wall, near Orford in Suffolk.

Chris Shepheard was very generous with his information and informed us about the wall at Sudbourne (near Orford in Suffolk).

A volunteer from Orford Museum (Brian Boulton) wrote the following to Chris in May 2009.

“In October (2008) we held a very successful two day exhibition in Orford Town Hall to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the release of the villages of Sudbourne and Iken back to the residents following their requisition by the Army as a battle training area by the 79th Armoured Division under Major-General Sir Percy Hobart. During the course of the event and since then further information has been forthcoming about events and items that relate to the period between 1942 and 1948.”

“Following information from a local resident I attended a location in the village of Sudbourne with our Curator and the landowner where we are now certain we have discovered a section of the missing concrete Atlantic Wall. The present section of wall, built into a bank separating two fields, is 22 metres long and eight feet high.”

“I have been in contact with the (Bovington) Tank Museum and obtained from them a copy of a photograph showing a Churchill ‘Double Onion’ placing a charge against a wall. This photograph has been identified as having been taken at Sudbourne on the section of wall we have now located. In addition I have today received a scan of an aerial photograph taken of the site by the RAF in 1945, and part of the wall can be seen by zooming in on the image”.

The British 79th Armoured Division trained at Linney Head, South Wales. The division’s 1st Assault Brigade (Royal Engineers) established a training school at Orford, Suffolk in October 1943

25 SOURCES

The book: The National Archives in Kew

“Ten thousand Eyes... and the wall came The official archive of the UK government Kew tumbling down” by Richard Collier. Published holds records covering more than 1,000 years by Collins, London, 1958 of history. Government records which have been selected for permanent preservation are Book description from the fly leaf of the 1958 sent to the National Archives. hardback version: War Office records in the series WO 195 While the Todt Organisation was constructing contain reports relating to the attack on a Wall which Hitler hoped would forever keep reinforced concrete, the weapons under the Western Allies off the Continent of Europe, development to destroy concrete, trials at thousands of French men and women were ‘Obstacle Assault Courses’, minutes of the Anti observing and transmitting its secrets in peril Concrete Committee and more. of their lives. Particularly in the area between Cherbourg and , where military For our purposes the Anti Concrete committee opinion quite clearly foresaw that re-entry papers were the main starting point. into France was most likely to be effected, housepainter, electrician, port employee, steeplejack, doctor prepared for D-Day with Canmore / RCAHMS a thoroughness all the more deadly for its outward casualness. Meeting every evening Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling for their customary calvados and under document dated 19 November 2003 cover of their lively disruptions, they received precise instructions from the secret agents Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 27 November 1998 sent out by de Gaulle’s Intelligence in London with information from Dr Diana Henderson as to what to look for. (The Scots at War Trust) and John Guy

Then, as they went about their daily business, [Area centered NN 8379 0369]. Scheduled they watched, measured, noted their as Sheriff Muir, Whitestone Range, SW of observations on cigarette papers in invisible Harperstone…visible as upstanding ruins, ink and smuggled them to Paris. From there ditches and earthworks. they were forwarded to London by means of a battered old fishing vessel which made rendezvous with a British trawler towards dusk off the Breton coast.

On one occasion the wily housepainter, Duchez, managed even to steal, by a daring ruse, a blueprint of the Wall itself. It is a tale of infinite courage, cunning, tenacity and danger.

Hardly less resourceful and persistent than the actors in the story were the efforts of the author to track them down and put it together. He succeeded in making contact with the survivors (not all survived the Gestapo inquisitions), recorded the memories of each and has put the whole together to make not only an immensely exciting book but one assured of a permanent place in the literature of espionage.

26 GLOSSARY

COHQ Combined Operations Head EinC Engineer in Chief Quarters RE Royal Engineers OAC Obstacle Assault Course E&M Electrical & Mechanical ATEE Anti Tank Experimental Establishment HE High Explosive

DBD Director Bomb Disposal LCM Landing Craft Mechanical

LCT Landing Craft Tank LCVP Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel AVRE Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers RCT Regimental Combat Team

CCS Combined Chiefs of Staff ACT Assault Combat Team (Allies)

COSSAC Chief of Staff, Supreme Allied Commander (HQ of CCS in London) FURTHER READING

Gold Juno Sword by Georges Bernage. Hitler’s Atlantic Wall Normandy by Paul Published Heimdal 2003 Williams. ISBN 2 84048 168 5 2013 Published by Pen and Sword ISBN 978 1 78303 058 3 The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World by George Forty. Hitler’s Atlantic Wall Pas de by Paul R Published Hermes House 2005 Williams. ISBN 1 84477 744 8 Published by Pen and Sword 2013 ISBN 9781848848177 Building the Third Reich. Organisation Todt from Autobahns to the Atlantic Wall. Tank Men The Human story of tanks at war by Edited by John Christopher. Robert Kershaw. Published by Amberley 2014 Published 2008 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978 1 4456 3856 0 ISBN 978 1 444 71483 8

The Atlantic Wall Normandy 1944 by Rémy Ten Thousand Eyes by Richard Collier. Desquesnes (Historian) Published by Collins 1958 Published by OREP Editions 2008 ISBN 978 2 915762 61 7 Forgotten Voices of D Day by Roderick Bailey Ebury Press 2009 The Atlantic Wall History and Guide by J E Kaufmann, H W Kaufmann, A Jankovič- Potočnik, Vladimir Tonič Published by Pen and Sword 2011 ISBN 184884387 9

27 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Chris Shepheard Gary Wallace

Brian Boulton SSAFA

Orford Musuem Poppy Scotland

Bovington Tank Museum British Legion Scotland

Community Covenant - Major Maurice Walsh APR Services Ltd

Lt Col Ranald Shepherd Northlight Heritage

Roger Thomas Grant Crockett and Lewis Wardrop

Guy Salkeld EQ Design Ltd

Mary Evans picture library Don’t Walk LLP

Stirling District Council Dunblane Cathedral Minister and staff

Dunblane Museum The Cross, Dunblane FK15 0AQ Graphic Design: Don’t Walk LLP dunblanemuseum.org.uk Front cover image: Wardrop and Crockett